ACLU Launches Nationwide Police Militarization Investigation

[bananas]

Source: Huffington Post

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has launched a nationwide campaign to assess police militarization in the United States. Starting Wednesday, ACLU affiliates in 23 states are sending open records requests to hundreds of state and local police agencies requesting information about their SWAT teams, such as how often and for what reasons they're deployed, what types of weapons they use, how often citizens are injured during SWAT raids, and how they're funded. More affiliates may join the effort in the coming weeks.

Additionally, the affiliates will ask for information about drones, GPS tracking devices, how much military equipment the police agencies have obtained through programs run through the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, and how often and for what purpose state National Guards are participating in enforcement of drug laws.

"We've known for a while now that American neighborhoods are increasingly being policed by cops armed with the weapons and tactics of war," said Kara Dansky, senior counsel at the ACLU's Center for Justice, which is coordinating the investigation. "The aim of this investigation is to find out just how pervasive this is, and to what extent federal funding is incentivizing this trend."

The militarization of America's police forces has been going on for about a generation now. Former Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates first conceived the idea of the SWAT team in the late 1960s, in response to the Watts riots and a few mass shooting incidents for which he thought the police were unprepared. Gates wanted an elite team of specialized cops similar to groups like the Army Rangers or Navy SEALs that could respond to riots, barricades, shootouts, or hostage-takings with more skill and precision than everyday patrol officers.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/aclu-police-militarization-swat_n_2813334.html

[Pararescue]

1. Good.

Long past due.
Go get em ACLU.

[TNLiberal4]

7. Amen to that

Once you've got the hardware, its hard not to create reasons to use it.

[loudsue]

11. They need some donations. These folks need all the support they can get.

Unless we expect them to work for free?

[Pararescue]

21. Am a dues paying member

and I donate what I can every month.

[Comrade Grumpy]

2. Too bad we can't get our elected officials to do something similar.

Good on the ACLU. I may not agree with them on everything, i.e. Citizens United, but I support the ACLU. Period. They are civil libertarians.

[bananas]

3. link to the ACLU webpage

The Huffington Post article in the OP is really good and worth reading,
it also links to the ACLU webpage on the project:

http://www.aclu.org/militarization

American neighborhoods are increasingly being policed by cops armed with the weapons and tactics of war. Federal funding in the billions of dollars has allowed state and local police departments to gain access to weapons and tactics created for overseas combat theaters – and yet very little is known about exactly how many police departments have military weapons and training, how militarized the police have become, and how extensively federal money is incentivizing this trend. It’s time to understand the true scope of the militarization of policing in America and the impact it is having in our neighborhoods. On March 6th, ACLU affiliates in 23 states filed over 255 public records requests with law enforcement agencies and National Guard offices to determine the extent to which federal funding and support has fueled the militarization of state and local police departments. Stay tuned as this project develops.

Consider these ten chilling stories. If the anecdotal evidence is any indication, use of military machinery such as tanks and grenades, as well as counter-terrorism tactics, encourage overly aggressive policing – too often with devastating consequences:

1. Confused after throwing a deafening and blinding “flashbang” into a home, police mistakenly shot and killed a sleeping nine-year-old.

2. A county sheriff’s department in South Carolina has an armored personnel carrier dubbed "The Peacemaker," which can shoot weapons that the U.S. military specifically refrains from using on people.

3. New Hampshire police received federal funds for a counter-attack vehicle, asking “what red-blooded American cop isn’t going to be excited about getting a toy like this?”

4. Two SWAT Teams shut down a neighborhood in Colorado for four hours to search for a man suspected of stealing a bicycle and merchandise from Wal-Mart.

5. A company in Arizona submitted a patent for shock cuffs, which can be used by cops to remotely administer a Taser-like shock to detainees.

6. Police in North Dakota borrowed a $154 million Predator drone from Homeland Security to arrest a family who refused to return six cows that wandered onto their farm.

7. Police in Arkansas announced plans to patrol streets wearing full SWAT gear and carrying AR-15 assault rifles.

8. Drone manufacturers may offer police remote controlled drones with weapons like rubber bullets, Tasers, and tear gas.

9. An Arizona SWAT team defended shooting an Iraq War veteran 60 times during a drug raid, but had to retract its claim that the veteran shot first.

10. The New York City Police Department disclosed that it deployed “counter-terror” measures against Occupy Movement protesters.


press» ACLU Launches Nationwide Investigation into Police Use of Military Technology & Tactics

blog» Local Police, Armed with the Weapons of War, Too Often Mistakenly Shoot and Kill

[Mopar151]

4. Happened in my hometown

I have been transcribing this from a Valley News clipping, and it is not complete - but it illustrates how quasi-milatarized police, under the command of complete friggin' imbeciles like Marc Hathaway, endanger everone they are supposed to protect.

Report Finds Confusion at Shooting
Muddled Leadership Cited in 2008 Charlestown Death
Mark Davis Valley News Staff Writer

Charlestown, NH – The two officials who oversaw a 2008 arrest operation that ended with police killing a Charlestown man communicated poorly and were confused about who was ultimately in charge, according to a report released yesterday.
In August 2008, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office declared that police were justified in killing Anthony Jarvis, who shot at them after they arrested his son and wounded one state trooper. But at the same time, the Attorney General’s Office documented several law enforcement errors at the scene and called for further review of police actions.
While the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council is scheduled to release that review later this month, the Attorney General’s Office recently released more details from its 2008 investigation, providing a fuller picture of the decisions that preceded the shooting.
The report revealed for the first time that Timothy Julian, head of the special operations unit called to the scene, initially said that he did not have enough trained men to perform the arrest, but relented when Sullivan County Attorney Marc Hathaway told him that his team would play a limited role and would not have to enter the home.
But events quickly escalated, and police officers did have to enter the home. A drunk and armed Jarvis shot and wounded State Police Trooper Phillip Gaiser, who returned fire, fatally hitting Jarvis with several shots.
Police gathered at the Claremont Police Department on the evening of July 26, 2008 to plan the arrest of Jesse Jarvis, a parolee who was wanted for allegedly stealing a Nazi flag, resisting arrest, and violating his parole.

If someone is better with the Google than I, they can probably dig up a lot more - especially since Tony Jarvis Jr., Jesse's brother, was recently arrested in a "standoff" situation in nearby Claremont, NH.

[bubbayugga]

5. finally.

sick 'em ACLU.

[rwsanders]

6. Add Lee's Summit, MO to the list please...

Quiet suburban area, just got a brand-spanking new armored personnel carrier thanks to DHS.

[Kingofalldems]

8. Are cops also encouraged to take steroids?

[Phlem]

9. Luvin this news

Thanks!



-p

[jerseyjack]

10. There needs to be legislation to stop the

transfer of weapons from the DHS, DoD and DFA and other federal agencies to the local police departments.

[mrmpa]

12. Back in the mid '70's when I was in college..............

and studying criminal justice. I took a class on police systems. Looking & studying the police in Europe, and the United States. I remember I wrote a paper, where I took on the militarization of the police in the United States, from the uniforms they wore to the types of weapons they used & the military hierarchy, such as sergeants and lieutenants. There has to be a line of command, but are military titles necessary?

Back in the '90's when I was processing men and women for the city's force, there was an essay, where the applicant had to address the reasons s/he wanted to be a police officer. One young man, stated that he wanted to General of something.

[ReRe]

13. More power to 'em...

K&R

...but we could have told them yes, we are now a MP State.

[Overseas]

14. K&R. Yes please!

[SoapBox]

15. Gates...

such a creep.

[marmar]

16. k/r

[blkmusclmachine]

17. They've got their cameras at most interscetions,

and 30,000 armed Drones in the US skies by 2020, promises Obama.

[GiveMeFreedom]

18. What ever gave the ACLU a stupid idea like this? huh?

from:http://thehivedaily.com/blog/2011/11/21/police-protecting-chase-bank-in-portland-oregon/


from:http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=651571


from:http://skydancingblog.com/2011/09/17/occupy-wall-street-protest/police-protect-bull/


Oh! Now I know, duh!! Go get em ACLU

[intheflow]

19. K & F'ing R for the ACLU.

Finally, somebody's doing something.

[One_Life_To_Give]

20. federal funding is incentivizing this trend

2700 Mine Resistant Vehicles (Remember the ones designed to replace the UpArmored HumVee in Iraq.) Because we have such a problem with IED's.

Since 911 DHS has been funding grants for all kinds of Crap. (90MPH boats to patrol a 2 mile long harbor?) I am sure some of the equipment was beneficial. But we are too glued to the idea of "Must spend the money or loose it"